It's 2009 all over again for Panther offense, and that's not good

Carolina’s offense wasn’t bad against the New York Jets Saturday. It was abysmal. Unless a player made a great individual play, the Panthers had nothing.

Matt Moore, who played the first half, did not look like a starting quarterback. Rookie Jimmy Clausen played the second, and he had moments. But he also threw a rookie interception. And when he moved around and beat the rush his inclination always was to throw the ball out of bounds rather than look for a receiver.

In Clausen’s defense, the blockers he played behind appeared to have sent party invitations to New York’s defensive line.

WHERE: Carolina’s backfield.

WHEN: Whenever you feel like it.

DRESS: Business casual.

WHO CAN I BRING: Linebackers, safeties, cornerbacks and third-teamers.

The Panthers are 0-2 in exhibitions. The losses are not particularly important. But the inability to score – the offense has yet to score a touchdown -- is.

I know that star receiver Steve Smith has yet to play. Star cornerback Darrelle Revis has not played for the Jets.

The offense has been so predictable, ineffective and boring that it reminds me of last season.

You remember last season. For the first time under John Fox the Panthers lost all four practice games. Then they lost their first three regular-season games. They averaged fewer than 13 points in the three losses. It was as if they were perpetually running underwater, into the wind and up a hill.

Even though they rallied to finish 8-8, it was a dismal 8-8. As the season wound down, they beat teams that didn’t have to win, or didn’t care to. True, Fox’s teams don’t quit on him. But they didn’t win for him when it mattered.

Under Fox, however, preseason performance has never foreshadowed regular­ results.

The Panthers went 4-0 in practice games in 2003, ’04 and ’06.

In real games they went 11-5 in ’03, 7-9 in ’04 and 8-8 in ’06.

The Panthers won 11 regular season games in ’05 and 12 in ’08. They went 2-2 in the preseason in each of them.

New Orleans, which won the Super Bowl last season, went 3-1 in practice games. It beat Indianapolis, which went 1-3.

Even if Carolina’s performance in August is not an indicator of its performance in the fall, the offense isn’t working. If it continues to perform the way it has, somebody will pass out buttons that say, BRING BACK JAKE, and a few people will wear them.

You know, of course, that there never has been a must-win game in the history of exhibition football, and there never will be. But the Tennessee game at Bank of America Stadium Saturday is important. The third exhibition always is because it most closely approximates a real game. Starters spent more time on the field and offensive and defensive coordinators spend more time developing game plans.

Saturday is an opportunity for Carolina's offense to establish that it no longer is 2009.

Comments

The issue is that Fox doesn't 'gameplan' for preseason games. In fact, he apparently doesn't even glance at the schedule until they get on the plane, because the Panthers didn't even look at assignments for blocking against 3-4 defenses.

This causes the actual preseason games to be a colossal waste of everybody's time, since the offense can't begin to execute with defensive players running free in the backfield right off the snap.

Over the years I have found out John Fox couldn't care less about preseason games. Yes we're a meaningless 0-2 and now we're facing the dreaded last two exhibitions where NO starters play...or precious little. But guess what? On September 9th our record is 0-0. I still say this is a 9-7 team...maybe 10-6 if the cards fall right.

Jets had the number one defense last year and looked no different last night. The recievers were covered up tight the whole time. Fox said he wanted to practice the passing game more, but not sure that team is the best one to work out kinks in the passing attack against.

The Special Teams is once again anything but special, and will need to be a focus for the next coach we hire. Everyone likes to point out that Delhomme took us to a super bowl, but we had great special teams play that year as well. You can win (or lose) 4 games just with special teams scores or tunrnovers. We had bad field position all night long. In a tight game that is the real difference.

The Panthers hire the offensive coordinator who, of all teams, the Cleveland Browns fired, and people wonder why there is no offense - no points? Jeff Davidson couldn't scheme his way out of a restroom stall. But when all the owner cares about is personal profit - what do expect? The man fired his own sons, refused spending money on any quality free agents, let higher salaried veterans go, and raised ticket prices. And be prepared to "assume the position" as there is talk of building a new stadium. Perhaps it is time for yet another heart transplant!

I agree with Free that JR is about the money. As a PSL owner with 6 tix what do we get if they build a new stadium? The money has to come from somewhere. In NY they required season ticket holders who had their seats for 30 years to buy PSL's. Don't be surprised if the Panthers pull the same stunt.

Thanks again to the guy from Winston Salem who purchased my PSL's 3 years ago. Since then, I've never missed a game I wanted to see and have never paid face value for tickets. The best part is relaxing comfortably at home on Sundays - knowing I didn't pay $25 to park, $8 per beer, $15 for food, and $170 for a ticket to watch a non=playoff team. I sure hope current PSL owners get as much satisfaction from the little window sticker and magazine as fat cat Richardson does going to bank on Monday mornings.

Without a good offensive coordinator, even the most skilled units in football will see limited production.

The job of an offensive coordinator requires calling plays that will first and foremost put points on the board; but that also suit the play of the team, maximize potential, minimize turnovers, and consistently move the ball down the field.

Every coach in the NFL is skilled and has a vast knowledge of the game of football, but these 10 coaches just might find themselves in over their heads in 2010.

Jeff Davidson - selected as the third WORST offensive coordinator in the league.

we look like crap! some say win or lose preseason doesnt matter, but when youve played 8 quarters and havent scored a TD yet id say thats cause for alarm. matt moore looks worse then jake, there is no #2 receiver whatsoever, the o line looks out of shape, and who knows if stewart will ever play football again, and at this point its gonna take a lot more then a pro bowl receiver with "little man syndrome" to turn this team around.

Ok agree on the Panthers. They are ignorantly using the Moore logic winning the final ones when they took Jake out to against the 2nd and 3rd stringers of playoff bound teams who didnt want to hurt their starters against a scrub team like the Panthers who werent even playing the spoiler role either.

You are however deadwrong on the Saints winning the Super Bowl. The VIKS won the MORAL ethical Super Bowl and got screwed on the other one. That game was clearly rigged by the NFL using the sympathy factor of Katrina and refs calling the shots for the Aints even ignoring the scumbag LBs late hitting Favre.

McMahons WWE got nuttin on the NFL clowns but that was a one shot and no more freebies ever !!

"Even though they rallied to finish 8-8, it was a dismal 8-8. As the season wound down, they beat teams that didn’t have to win, or didn’t care to."

That has to be one of the dumbest statements I have read. Vikings were playing for home field and the Giants were playing to get a wild card spot. Where does this dumb analogy come in? Everyone felt energy even when we went 8-8. Remember all of those Jake haters? Now you want him back...sorry I'm backing Moore, I've seen what he can do and just because we lost 2 preseason games, everyone is saying doom and gloom? Bump those games, they don't mean anything. Let's take a look at the current talent we have with the backups so we know which ones to keep. Winning preseason games is secondary, let's evaluate the talent. The real season starts next month.